Rob reviews Scathe on PC...
Scathe is a game that sends you to Hell and then asks you to slay countless demons and other nasties. Its fast-paced gameplay and relentless bullet-hell action are very similar to DOOM and DOOM Eternal. However, whilst Scathe has just enough originality to its namesake, the cracks start to quickly show.
Playing as the titular Scathe, you're tasked by the Divine Creator to infiltrate the hell-maze of his twin brother the demonic Sacrilegious. As such you'll battle your way through countless hordes as you gather upgrades and various weapons across the ever-changing landscape. Its narrative is certainly thin on the ground as Scathe instead relies on its gunplay to do its talking.
Fans of Bethesda's DOOM will feel right at home with what Scathe has to offer. It's a fast-paced shooter that offers very little breathing room across a multitude of arena-like areas. Where Scathe aims to be different is with its added bullet-hell and rogue-lite mechanics.
As you assault the realms of hell, Scathe can acquire quite a diverse range of weapons and equipment. In true form, you'll start your journey off with the staple Infinite ammo weapon. This soon gets upgraded into more powerful weapons such as shotguns, and the Bow Blade which for all intended purposes is a crossbow that shoots saw blades. While each weapon does have a degree of weight behind them, the fun of dispatching the enemies does become pretty tiresome as there's no variation to their deaths - other than blood-soaked explosions. If you fancy getting up close and personal, Scathe also has a melee attack at his disposal. Taking the form of a dash, you'll simply dash into the enemy and pummel them to the ground. Yet, due to the high-speed nature of Scathe, you'll dash straight past your foe, more times than you'll hit them.
The final side to combat is the Dark Relics. These special powers give you some pretty fancy moves that become very handy if you find yourself in a pinch. Whether you healing yourself, encasing enemies in ice, or even harnessing the demon's power - there's something for everyone. In a strange turn of events, these Dark Relics also play a big part in the games co-op aspect. Each player can only equip one relic. As such unless you play in a party of four, you'll have to determine what one you leave behind. While this could then lead to team tactics and mismatched synergy, gameplay sadly remains the same.
With most first-person shooters, there isn't much in the way of replayability. Quite often the single player acts as an 8-hour tutorial to the game multiplayer. While Scathe does offer a degree of replayability with multiple branches to its maze, once you've finished the game it's not worth going back to. If anything Scathe feels like it's meant to be played like Left4Dead 2 or Bound4Blood, with friends teaming up for a few hours. There are certainly a lot of "water cooler moments" to be had with friends, yet other than this the experience is a little shallow.
The presentation is also a bit of a mixed bag. Where the game performs well on a technical level, it's bogged down by uninspired locations and a lack of originality. Locations are also very DOOM-Esq, and you'll soon find each filled with burning sigils, gothic architecture, and torturous details. It's a shame to say it, but playing Scathe does feel like an old-school .wad file that's been made for DOOM Eternal.
When it comes to the soundtrack, Scathe fairs a little better. Weapons sound big and loud with each having its own unique and appropriate sounds. Enemies also have some pretty detailed sounds with squelching pops and splatters as they react to the damage you deal. While Scathe doesn't feature too much vocal work, we do get to hear both the Divine Creator and Sacrilegious at various points. Sadly, it's pretty hard to tell who's who as both characters speak in that monotone voice that's present in most games that feature a demon.
The musical score on the other hand is arguably the games saving grace. Much like DOOM Eternal, Scathe features a blistering metal soundtrack that plays into the carnage going playing out on screen. While there isn't anything as memorable as Mick Gordon's 'Hell on Earth, or 'King Novik', Scathe's soundtrack is still a worthy addition to any Spotify playlist!
When you strip away all the various aspects that makeup Scathe, they all combine to make a great game. Just its sadly one that probably appeared two/three years later than it should have done. For the most, the spirit of what kind of game it wants to be is there. However, it's soon hidden away by those unrefined aspects.
While Scathe does lay down some foundations for Damage State to build upon, it doesn't quite stand on its own two feet. Don't get me wrong, for the most - I did enjoy what the game had to offer. Its gunplay is pretty tight, and playing with friends is the way to go. The downside to this is that with a game inspired by DOOM Eternal, it doesn't quite shake that "clone" tag. Sadly Scathe doesn't offer much to make you choose it over the latter.
Rating: 6.5/10
A code was kindly provided for this review
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